The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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I have not been writing as consistently as I used to. Entirely by choice. Meaning, there are not any problems between myself and any of the newspapers or outlets I write for. It is entirely me. First, I have been writing for over 30 years now and I guess I am stepping back to see what I think of it all. I take it that is normal. The world of media has changed. There was a shift that came along with Covid. I do not feel I have the same freedom of speech I once had. I feel this way because I have...
Imagine this….You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? You may reply, "Because someone bumped into me!!!" Nope. Wrong answer. You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The ton...
As they say, the month of August is the dog days of summer because it is so hot and humid. For that matter, this whole summer could be termed the dog days of summer. One thing I have noticed in all this heat and humidity has been the absence of bud worms on my many geraniums. Every summer from about the end of June until fall, I have to dust my geraniums with Dipel and reapply when I water or it rains. No need for Dipel so far this year. There are several garden tasks which need to be completed...
I don’t how many times I have crossed a ridge thinking I was some place that I wasn’t. I don’t how many times I have crested a hill thinking I’ll be able to see something I didn’t. I don’t know how many times I have rounded a bend to discover an additional path to the place I was going. I recognize this truth weekly. One of my hobbies is cycling. I’ve been riding for several years, and sometimes the places I ride are difficult. As a result, I’m always looking around the corner thinking I have...
(August 2, 2024) Can the Democrats be sued for false advertising? They’ve completely abandoned “democracy“ for the third Presidential cycle in a row, so I think they should be forced to rebrand themselves to reflect what they actually stand for. Donorcrats? Elitocrats? DeathToAmericrats? Surely there’s a Consumer Protection statute or six out there that applies. Or, could be made to apply under the Bragg Precedence (namely, we don’t need a crime to charge you for…something or other). In...
The late Robert Schuller noted that the way we treat the English language is terrible. We say, for example, “This is the worst thing that could ever happen,” or “I’ll never get over this.” Most of us have said this at some point, and, most often, after dreadful things have happened. We probably believed the truth of our immediate response, though in retrospection would admit neither is true. But we continue to misuse words. I read someone lately who cited another misuse; namely when we say to...
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 2, 2024 – A resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) in honor of Willie Mays' life and enduring legacy passed the Senate yesterday by unanimous consent. Mays was born in Westfield, Alabama, and he spent most of his career with the San Francisco Giants. The resolution concludes, "Willie Mays personified the American Dream by relying on his relentless work ethic and d...
An Englishman named Joseph Priestley made a discovery 250 years ago that marked the beginning of modern chemistry and continues to have important ramifications today. His remarkable find was, in a word: Unlike inventions, which create something new, discoveries acknowledge something that already exists and quantify it to explain its significance. Of course, oxygen has always existed, and its utility to human life is completely independent of the need for explanation. We know exactly what it is,...
Friday, March 2, 2024 Washington D.C. the Pentagon announced on Thursday that it has reached a plea agreement with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawasawi who planned the September 11, 2001 attack that killed thousands of Americans in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-Saks), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, demanded answers from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the plea agr...
Whether you're a country music fan or not, nearly everyone has heard of the icons of the genre: Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Johnny Cash, to name a few. But what about Deana Carter? Or Jamey Johnson? Sometimes, artists who once appeared to be on the cusp of country music greatness lose that momentum in the highly competitive industry, only to become dreaded one-hit wonders. Take the duo The Wreckers, for example. They released their hit "Leave the Pieces" in 2006, only to unexpectedly break u...
As he prepared recently to sign a bill requiring public schools, colleges and universities to display a state-approved version of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry made it clear he was spoiling for a fight. "I can't wait to be sued," he told attendees at a GOP fundraiser. The 74 reports that within days, nine families with children in Louisiana schools delivered. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church & State and...
August 5, 2024, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-Selma) announced that the City of Birmingham has been awarded approximately $20 million by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) in hopes that it will create pathways to connect Northwest Birmingham residents to good jobs. U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) today celebrated the $20 million grant. The funding will be utilized to invest in economically distressed communities and connect Alabamians with good jobs....
When summer starts with a stifling heat wave, as many places are seeing in 2024, it can pose risks for just about anyone who spends time outside, whether they're runners, people who walk or cycle to work, outdoor workers or kids playing sports. Writing for The Conversation, Susan Yeargin, an associate professor of athletic training at the University of South Carolina and an expert on heat-related illnesses, explains what everyone should think about before spending time outside in a heat wave...
August 2, 2024 Montgomery, Ala – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) joined Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) and 18 other attorneys general in opposition to the Biden-Harris administration's claim that state laws preventing de-banking are a "national security threat." Attorney General Moody and the coalition claim this is just another attempt to stoke confusion about state laws to advance extreme activist agendas. "Never in my life did I think that I would see a day in the U...
August 3, 2024 - on Friday, U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) and Katie Britt (R-Alabama) joined U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and 45 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden-Harris administration protesting its partial arms embargo against Israel. The senators urged the White House to stop kowtowing to Iran, stop jeopardizing the lives of American servicemembers, and to deliver the necessary weapons systems to Israel. "While your administration delays, Hamas...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will host public meetings in Florence, Nashville and online in August 2024 to discuss a pilot project designed to manage and prevent the spread of invasive carp within the Tennessee and Cumberland river basins and the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway. During the meetings, state and local officials and USACE representatives will be available to take questions about the proposed invasive carp deterrent projects. Alabama anglers, boaters and local residents are...
One of Alabama's most popular paddling destinations recently received a significant upgrade. State and local officials celebrated the opening of the renovated Garden City River Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 24. The renovations were made possible by a settlement against Tyson Farms for a wastewater spill into the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River. The spill occurred in 2019 at Tyson Farms' River Valley chicken processing plant in Hanceville when a pipe/hose failed and dumped...
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will temporarily close Washington County Public Fishing Lake in southwest Alabama after the discovery of an invasive aquatic plant – giant salvinia – in the lake. The lake will be closed starting August 5, 2024. One of the most aggressive aquatic plants, giant salvinia is a fast-growing invasive species that has the potential to double in size every two to four days. The...
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AUG. 5, 2024) – Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has won a $750,000 Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) award to support STROBE-X, a planned $1 billion probe-class NASA observatory that aims to unlock the secrets of some of the most extreme conditions in the universe. The researcher will be collaborating with an international team of scientists, including researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (...
Washington, D.C., August 1, 2024 – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) released the following statement after voting against Senator Chuck Schumer's (D-New York) attempt to rush a tax package through the Senate that most Republicans viewed as being flawed. "I support several provisions in the tax package, including restoring full expensing of the research and development tax credit and the goal of supporting children and their families," said Sen. Britt. "However, I cannot support ramming t...
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey. Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a...
Trine Krebs is sometimes called "the leek woman," or even Miss Dry-Legume, of Denmark. The 48-year-old has for decades traveled around the country as, in her words, a "food inspirer," proselytizing about all things vegetables. "It's very important to have locally grown food," says Krebs, who has a 12-hectare farm replete with 50 different vegetables on the outskirts of Copenhagen. "It's something that I'm concerned about; what is seen in our landscapes." So when, in October 2023, the Danish gove...
I have to wonder who the GOP strategists are. Where is Karl Rove when Republicans need him? Would the late Lee Atwater take this route? The GOP are shooting themselves in the foot right now, the news networks are abuzz with GOP leader’s claims that Vice President Harris is the DEI choice. Trump did not do them any favors today with his comments at the Black Journalist Conference. By now, everyone has either read or listened to his words, so draw your own conclusions. Why did he go on there? A...
The latest Census estimate shows that the City of Birmingham's population has continued to fall. The Census estimates that the current Birmingham population is down to just 195,400. This is down from 196,644 in 2023 and down from the 2020 Census count of 200,733. This decline is part of a long-term trend that has affected "the Magic City" since the middle of the 20th century. In 1960 Birmingham had 340,887 residents. It was the largest city in the state of Alabama (by far) and the 36th largest...
The rain in our area has been relentless. This coming week will be the first week in several where there is hardly any rain predicted. Everyone here is praying for the possibility of sunny days with temperatures to be in the 90’s. Yes, you read that right. We are praying for sunny days and sweltering humidity with highs in the mid 90’s. It’s funny how that works. Just a few weeks ago, I saw a sign on a church marquee that implored us to pray for rain. Now, if I were to go back by that churc...
